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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Great book. Stories of cases interwoven with descriptions of how the trial system works in England. Excellent.
interesting, well written and entertaining. I really enjoyed this book that kept me hooked till the end.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Very interesting with a deep insight into being a barrister, but sometimes a bit dry
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
William Clegg QC has been involved in some of the most high profile criminal trials of recent times including the acquittals of Colin Stagg and Barry George and the conviction in the case of Joanna Yeates’ murder. In this book he tells the stories behind some of these cases as well as some background into life as a Barrister moving up the ranks and how the criminal justice system works in England.
A lot of the true crime books I’ve read have tended to be more about crimes in America so I really liked that this gave me more of an insight into the criminal justice system where I’m from. I did actually work as a Secretary for a few years at a Solicitors that dealt with criminal law and I was based in the Crown Court Team so I did learn a lot then and it was kind of nice to go back to that time in my life in my head whilst reading this book.
I’ve gotten through this really quickly and whilst that is in part due to the layout of the book with the spacing being quite generous so the pages aren’t crammed full of text it is also testament to the writing as the language wasn’t overly complicated but nor did I feel I was being patronised. Clegg does mention at the end of the book that he actually had a ghost writer help out as his writing style was more suited to his legal briefs than a book like this.
It was really interesting to read about some of the big cases that I’ve seen on the news and see behind the scenes of what went on during the Court cases. I also enjoyed reading about some of the traditions around becoming a Barrister and a QC and the way the Chambers system works.
There was a section towards the end about the way cuts to Legal Aid have affected the job and I do think it’s a shame that criminal defence is de-valued in this way. Everybody has a right to a fair trial and part of that includes having access to good representation for your defence and with cuts across the board affecting both Prosecution and Defence as far as I can see this only makes it harder to ensure that the right verdict is reached and we run the risk of going back to the way things used to be with miscarriages of justice being more common again.
I particularly enjoyed the chapters about the War Crimes cases Clegg has been involved in as they were very nuanced and it was interesting to see the cases and think about what I would have done if I’d been a Juror.
At times I did find Clegg a little pretentious but to be honest I think that’s probably to be expected from the profession, particularly from a person of his stature within the profession too.
Overall, I found “Under the Wig” to be a really interesting look at some high profile cases and the English Criminal Justice system.
A fascinating look behind the curtain of courtrooms, murder trials, and what it means to be a barrister in England.
Highly entertaining and very well written!
Highly entertaining and very well written!
I grew up watching crime documentaries, and I must have watched just about every gritty crime drama and murder mystery out there. To this day I am told regularly that I should pursue a career in law (hopefully because they think I would be good at it, and not as a quippy response to my argumentative nature). I do enjoy these types of non-fiction reads, for the education that they provide about the processes and procedures of the British legal system, the personal experiences of the individuals involved, and the unprecedented insight the memoirs provide into a process that is otherwise hidden.
I was recommended this book having finished [b:The Secret Barrister|36620738|The Secret Barrister Stories of the Law and How It's Broken|The Secret Barrister|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511052578l/36620738._SY75_.jpg|58380359] and [b:Fake Law|49941494|Fake Law The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies|The Secret Barrister|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1569769518l/49941494._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73554395], both written by The Secret Barrister. In comparison to those it is certainly more accessible and less technical, an intentional decision on Clegg’s part. SB’s books, particularly the first but to a large extent the sequel too, are about the state of the profession and the criminal justice system, dispelling common myths, and his take on how future governments can work to solve the varying issues he highlights. Clegg’s debut book takes an alternative approach, as the chapters alternate between anecdotes of high profile murder cases he has worked on and his journey to becoming a successful barrister and his later appointment as Queen's Counsel. Along the way he provides answers to common questions, by myth-busting and highlighting changes in the profession in his many years in the profession, and some of the methods and tactics he has deployed in the courtroom.
As it is not anonymous he does hold back at times, in his opinions and anecdotes. There are only few occasions where he provides strong opinions about aspects of the legal profession, but they come across as grudges and gripes rather than any well thought out analyses (in stark contrast to SB), and the information from anecdotes divulged is based predominantly on what is already public knowledge (this is not entirely his fault, as he was forced to cut sections of the book that discussed confidential clients’ cases). Despite this he does name drop high profile cases, and the insight is still useful - often I could recall the reporting of some of the cases he mentions, and how key details were missing from the news reports, drastically altering the public reaction. The most high profile case he discusses is his defence of Barry George at his retrial, the man who was originally convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando.
The detailed recollection of key trials in his professional career are interspersed with light hearted stories from his childhood to the day he had taken silk. These stories range from the irrelevant to the intrinsically important; sharing a hotel with Kier Starmer and demanding fresh toast in the mornings, for example, would be an illustration of the former. This sprinkling of seemingly irrelevant information humanises what is otherwise an alien, and often times archaic, process. All of this helps to break up what could have been a dry block of information. In that sense it has an essence of Richard Shepherd’s “Unnatural Causes”.
The chapters are not as long as I expected from a non-fiction book of this type (usually about 25+ pages each). Instead the book is separated reasonably into digestible chunks. It was very easy to read, it isn’t particularly long, and its minimal use of overtly technical language means it requires no pre reading to fully benefit from every word. Regardless of whether you have read SB’s books or not, whether or not you are interested in law, if you are just a viewer of crime documentaries or a training barrister, I think there is something for everyone to learn in here and I would certainly recommend giving it a go.
I was recommended this book having finished [b:The Secret Barrister|36620738|The Secret Barrister Stories of the Law and How It's Broken|The Secret Barrister|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511052578l/36620738._SY75_.jpg|58380359] and [b:Fake Law|49941494|Fake Law The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies|The Secret Barrister|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1569769518l/49941494._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73554395], both written by The Secret Barrister. In comparison to those it is certainly more accessible and less technical, an intentional decision on Clegg’s part. SB’s books, particularly the first but to a large extent the sequel too, are about the state of the profession and the criminal justice system, dispelling common myths, and his take on how future governments can work to solve the varying issues he highlights. Clegg’s debut book takes an alternative approach, as the chapters alternate between anecdotes of high profile murder cases he has worked on and his journey to becoming a successful barrister and his later appointment as Queen's Counsel. Along the way he provides answers to common questions, by myth-busting and highlighting changes in the profession in his many years in the profession, and some of the methods and tactics he has deployed in the courtroom.
As it is not anonymous he does hold back at times, in his opinions and anecdotes. There are only few occasions where he provides strong opinions about aspects of the legal profession, but they come across as grudges and gripes rather than any well thought out analyses (in stark contrast to SB), and the information from anecdotes divulged is based predominantly on what is already public knowledge (this is not entirely his fault, as he was forced to cut sections of the book that discussed confidential clients’ cases). Despite this he does name drop high profile cases, and the insight is still useful - often I could recall the reporting of some of the cases he mentions, and how key details were missing from the news reports, drastically altering the public reaction. The most high profile case he discusses is his defence of Barry George at his retrial, the man who was originally convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando.
The detailed recollection of key trials in his professional career are interspersed with light hearted stories from his childhood to the day he had taken silk. These stories range from the irrelevant to the intrinsically important; sharing a hotel with Kier Starmer and demanding fresh toast in the mornings, for example, would be an illustration of the former. This sprinkling of seemingly irrelevant information humanises what is otherwise an alien, and often times archaic, process. All of this helps to break up what could have been a dry block of information. In that sense it has an essence of Richard Shepherd’s “Unnatural Causes”.
The chapters are not as long as I expected from a non-fiction book of this type (usually about 25+ pages each). Instead the book is separated reasonably into digestible chunks. It was very easy to read, it isn’t particularly long, and its minimal use of overtly technical language means it requires no pre reading to fully benefit from every word. Regardless of whether you have read SB’s books or not, whether or not you are interested in law, if you are just a viewer of crime documentaries or a training barrister, I think there is something for everyone to learn in here and I would certainly recommend giving it a go.
A fantastic read. After reading this book, I realised that I had no idea about the legal system in England. My eyes have really been opened!
The book clearly explains the preparation required in the lead up to a trial, but it also looks at what goes on behind the scenes back at chambers.
I also found the language in the book easy to understand, the author doesn’t use too many technical terms.
The book clearly explains the preparation required in the lead up to a trial, but it also looks at what goes on behind the scenes back at chambers.
I also found the language in the book easy to understand, the author doesn’t use too many technical terms.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
my absolute fav type of non-fiction is a memoir written by someone in the criminal/legal world so this was always going to be a winner for me. really readable, super engaging & achieved the miraculous thing for me of explaining the english barrister world in a way that actually made sense!